SUMMER AFTERNOON, - Ambassador Advertising

[Pages:8]AUGUST

2019

UPDATE

SUMMER AFTERNOON,

SUMMER AFTERNOON; TO ME THOSE HAVE ALWAYS

BEEN THE TWO MOST

BEAUTIFUL WORDS

IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

HENRY JAMES

INSIDE

All about podcasting: The tips of the "new" trade New kids on the block: Meet our newest team members What to read: Top 10 book recommendations from Michael Horton

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DID YOU KNOW?

A "protocol signing" between Mercy Ships and the country of Sierra Leone has recently been accomplished--which means that plans will be developed for The Africa Mercy to return to the republic of 7.88 million after a period of assessment. Next up, meantime, is the ship's efforts in Dakar, Senegal, later this year.

"Be Wise and Thrive" is now heard nationwide with the goal to help audiences achieve contentment in the present and confidence in the future, living generous lives. Contact Katie@ to add the 1:00 feature to your schedule!

IN PRAYER

Our prayers continue for Barry Meguiar and wife, Karen, who lost their daughter, Nicole, on June 20. Nicole, who was also a car enthusiast and strong supporter of Teen Challenge, died peacefully in her sleep at age 49. Speaking at the memorial, Barry noted: "If Scripture doesn't work in the bad times, it's worthless." A powerful video of the memorial service may be viewed at celebration-of-life.

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AMB-OS UPDATES

We're excited to announce these broadcasts new to Amb-OS!

Worship & the Word with Pastor Robert Morris (Gateway Church in DFW) is a biblically-based, weekly half-hour radio program. Its goal is to see listeners come to Christ, discipled, equipped and serving in the local church. (The daily Worship & the Word short feature is already distributed on Amb-OS). For placement, please send an email to programs@amb-. The programs are also available on FTP.

Awakened to Grace is the preaching ministry of Chad Roberts, pastor of Preaching Christ Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. The goal of Awakened to Grace is to train, equip and inspire the program's listeners to understand the Bible more deeply and to be bold in carrying out the Great Commission. Awakened to Grace is a weekly, 30-minute teaching program distributed on Amb-OS. Chad Roberts is also the author of the books, Calling on the Name of the Lord and Awakened to Grace. In addition, he leads Friends of the Gospel, a global missions organization, and Friends for the Fight, a cancer-fighting initiative. For more information, contact Chad Roberts at (423) 967-5997 or pastorchadroberts@.

Gateways to Better Education with Eric Buehrer is a 1-minute daily commentary designed to help listeners navigate the public schools so their children's faith is protected and strengthened. According to Barna Group's research, 84% of church-going families in America send their children to public schools, and nearly half of the nation's public educators are practicing Christians. The goal is to equip parents to address a concern, bless a teacher, influence their children's school, and teach their children to be discerning about what they are learning in class. They'll learn about their freedom to express their faith on campus and how to respond to bias. Should you have any questions, please contact Aaron Ogden at (800) 929-1163 or aaron@.

The Cure with Aimee Cabo offers a platform of hope to anyone who has experienced domestic violence, abuse, mental illness, any trauma or is experiencing problems in their lives. The Cure is a place to find comfort, knowledge, strategies, answers, hope, and love while healing the wounds and `affirming' that you are not alone.

The Cure is heard live every Saturday at 1-2 PM ET and also available as a live capture file. To request permission for your Amb-OS receiver, please send an email to programs@amb-. For more information or non-technical questions about the broadcast, please contact Boris Nikolov, 786-600-7005, bonik70@.

See the most up-to-date list of Amb-OS broadcasts at

POD CASTS

Six

Tips

for

Podcasters

BY JIM SANDERS

So ... thinking about a podcast? You and something like 750,000 other organizations (so far--the list grows by about 3,000 a week--not episodes but new podcasts!). Like you, our eye is on the horizon and, with our shared mission (ministries and stations alike) to utilize technology for the end objective of sharing the greatest news man would ever receive, none of us want to miss out on any way to accomplish that. The good news is that podcasts are "easy" to produce. The bad news is that they're easy to produce--and far too many people do so as a result. Organizations will logically view it as an inexpensive way to share content and develop new audience. But, frankly, that someone can do a podcast doesn't necessarily mean they should. J Here are a few basics that are, in our view, points to consider carefully before setting the course.

1. Maintain laser-focus on the content and what a listener would expect to hear; create compelling content that speaks to the needs of your audience--

it's about them not "you"! Too many corporate podcasts err in talking about the organization (or personality delivering content) rather than focusing on what consumers are interested in and want to hear.

2. Be fiercely committed to pushing out content every week (or more). A recent report notes that only 18% of podcasts have generated a new episode in the past three months. The gap will be filled too easily by one of those new podcasts launched last week (!).

3. Decide the optimum length of the podcast--it should be just as long as is necessary. Once you begin "filling for time," it's time to do something else! That "magic" length varies wildly--I subscribe to several podcasts which are a few minutes and several that go for hours each week. What's the difference? My level of interest in the content, of course.

4. Thoroughly plan for the first 13 weeks or more when launching or risk running out of material very quickly. We've always said that "radio has a voracious appetite"--so does podcasting!

5. Utilize the best technical quality. Poor quality makes an implicit statement about the content in both directions; just as in broadcasting, there is competition for the "ears" of every consumer. Despite the cost-effectiveness and easy accessability of the forum, don't compromise on providing top-flight quality in production.

6. Begin with clarity on how success will be measured. Particularly as podcasts echo broadcasts, and vice versa, know how you will ascertain impact that is exclusively that of the product. Think about a window of time to give to the podcast, and set a point at which time the podcaster would determine whether or not it's worth continuing. Bottom line ... "by any means winning some" is a motivator that makes podcasting at least worth a second, informed, look! You'll find additional resources at our website, if interested. If you'd like a copy of the Conference summary (see below) available in September, send a note to Peg@.

PODCAST MOVEMENT CONFERENCE

The Podcast Movement Conference convenes in Orlando this month (August 13-16).

If you plan to attend, drop a note to Lee Ann Jackson (Lee@) so she can tote a box of our chocolates and greet you there!

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NEW TO YOU

Dynamic Duo

This Spring we welcomed two additions to the Ambassador team--don't be surprised if you hear from one of them soon as they both step into station relations work!

HANNAH BARE

What better way to validate a future path--for both entities--than to work as an intern and then be invited to join the team permanently! After spending the Spring with us in her last semester at Biola University, Hannah Bare then moved to FTE status after graduation (and a trip to Hawaii to celebrate!). With a degree in PR (emphasis in Ministry and Non-Profit), Hannah will focus on ministry relations as well and support our efforts in the area of graphics and social media. With roots in San Diego CA, making Orange County her home won't be too difficult. Home-schooled up to college years, Hannah has a strong interest in continuing to learn-- we'll make sure that happens here! Connect with Hannah at Hannah@ or 949-6817612.

KARI MEDINA

On the other hand, what better recommendation can one hope to achieve than that of your mother-in-law! That's exactly the case for Kari Medina whose resume` came to us by way of Michelle Blood, but whose credentials quickly "spoke for themselves" as our team interviewed Kari for the opening. Exiting her work in the medical world with a degree in Kinesiology in hand, Kari joined us just prior to NRB this year and immediately immersed herself in Christian media. She's proven to be a tremendous contributor already, managing a number of assignments including production of the weekly "mAAAx Fax" (now primarily delivered by email!). Outside of Ambassador, Kari and her husband, Joe, thrive as parents to Jameson ("Jamo") and enjoy all that life in SoCal offers. They are involved at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Fountain Valley. You can reach Kari at Kari@ or 949-681-7627.

GOT MORE THAN

A MINUTE?

As follow-up to our information recently on all 1:00 features, here are a few more shorts that you might consider!

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Classic family encouragement comes from Dennis Rainey in each day's edition of Real FamilyLife (1:30).

John MacArthur provides concise response to some of the most common questions about God's Word in Bible Q&A (2:00).

There's a 2:00 version (in addition to the 1:00) for Making Your Life Count--wisdom from Steve Douglass.

John Stonestreet delivers a biblical worldview perspective out of the heritage of Chuck Colson on every day's release of BreakPoint (4:00).

A

B

C

E

F

IN THE ACT

We love welcoming guests at AAA. Over the past few weeks that's included: A An extra recording date here with Joni Eareckson Tada--and Ken. We were rejoicing in the great "all clear" PET scan news that Joni had just received.

B Longtime broadcasting friend, Tom Hoyt, stopped by to share the latest on his new project in Palm Springs. We "rewarded" him for making that trek with a little something for the road!

C Ministry serendipities are such a blessing! While here to speak at Greg Laurie's Irvine Harvest site, Stuart and Jill Briscoe graciously made time for us, too. That sweet fellowship ended with a hymn sing in front of a local hotel when we "bumped into" Joni and Ken again! Toooo fun!

D Also in OC this summer, John Fuller with his wife, Dena, put a stop at Ambassador on the itinerary. Knowing we were in need of healthy fare, they brought a basket of great fruit to enjoy--and we did!

Finally ... we LOVE these "Update in Hand" photos including: E From WSEW, Carol Corbett (Operations Assistant) who was on remote at the River Rock Christian Music Festival (Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine).

D F Our dear Evelyn Gibson may have retired from Ambassador but no grass is growing--she's now studying to be ... a drummer! A concert is planned this Fall J!

G The work of Wheels for the World is unceasing--this time it was a trip to Poland, delivering to a school for children with disabilities. Thanks, Shauna Amick (Director of Radio Ministries at Joni and Friends) for toting Update along!

Keep sending the pix ... we guarantee you a space in next month's issue!

G

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TOP 10 BOOKS

Michael Horton

Heard daily on "Core Christianity," Michael Horton is also a seminary professor, speaker and prolific author himself. And he and his wife, Lisa, are parents to four children. With a full plate like his, we wondered ... what are the "Top Ten" books you'd recommend for reading? Here is Michael's list!

1CITY OF GOD | ST. AUGUSTINE When the Vandals sacked Rome, church father Jerome said, "What is to become of the Church now that Rome has fallen?" By contrast, Augustine responded, in effect, "Now God has brought the mission field to the missionaries!" But paganism was still alive and well in the Roman empire and people were saying that the defeat was because the gods were abandoned. Augustine's sweeping response, distinguishing the City of God and the City of Man, is said justly to have been the first Christian interpretation of Western history up to that point. Readers can't miss parallels with our own time.

2HAMLET | WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE It's Shakespeare. I loved him in college, but a seminar at Yale with the great literary scholar Harold Bloom was like starting over. Along with the Geneva Bible and KJV, much of the modern English language is shaped by the bard. Countless expressions we use every day come from his plays and sonnets. Today we think of his plays as "high culture," but in his day they were folk culture. Not just entertainment (though definitely that!), they're penetrating studies in human nature.

3GALATIANS (COMMENTARY) MARTIN LUTHER (new translation via ) Recovering the doctrine of justification was at the heart of the Reformation. This 1535 commentary can reorient your whole Christian life.

4INSTITUTES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION | JOHN CALVIN Calvin was a very organized thinker, drawing from the whole range of Scripture, the best of the ancient church and even the "better theologians" of the medieval period. Addressed to the Catholic King of France, it was written as an introduction to the basic teaching of

the Reformation. I used to read it for my devotions and now I keep returning to it to find new deposits of gold.

5THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM Introducing new candidates for baptism to the Christian faith, the ancient church developed question-and-answer "catechisms" (meaning "teaching tools"). The Reformers revived this practice after Luther discovered that nobody knew even the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer or the Ten Commandments. The Heidelberg is the most pastoral and accessible of the Reformed catechisms, in my humble opinion. Question 1: "What is your only comfort in life and in death?" "A. That I am not my own, but belong, both in body and in soul, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ...." Memorize the full answer (with its scriptural proofs) and it will sustain you all the way to your death bed.

6MOBY DICK | HERMAN MELVILLE THE ANTICHRIST | FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE It's good sometimes to listen to those who, though raised in the church, have turned against it. Isn't that what's happening today for so many? They might get it wrong, but what do they hear us saying? That's always a good exercise. Both of these works take aim at a view of God that many have found oppressive rather than liberating. Melville wanted to kill him (the white whale), while Nietzsche pronounced him dead.

7MIRACLES | C.S. LEWIS So what do you say when someone asks you, "Do you really believe miracles happen?" Anything by Lewis is pure gold, but this little book is the most succinct and persuasive. The Oxford don reasons with the reader: "If anything extraordinary seems to have happened, we can always say that we have been the victims of an illusion. If we hold a philosophy which excludes

the supernatural, this is what we always shall say." He explains, "Christianity does not involve the belief that all things were made for man. It does involve the belief that God loves man and for his sake became man and died." Read it and give this to a nonChristian (or struggling Christian) friend.

8BROTHERS KARAMASOV FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY Just read Book 5 and you'll want to start at the beginning. Here is someone who is wrestling with Nietzsche & Co. (nihilism-- meaninglessness), including the suffering in his own life, who is nevertheless struggling throughout the novel to cling to his faith in Christ. If you read this after the other books I've recommended, it will blow you away. It's filled with typically Russian lunacy, clarity and verve.

9HOLINESS OF GOD | R.C. SPROUL OK. I'm sitting in the audience at the Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, in California, where Sproul is giving the "Holiness of God" lectures that became his book. Good grief. Going through this series is like being dragged into a story that you never even knew was possible. The interpretation of Isaiah 6 is wonderful and "Luther's Insanity" is about the best grasp of what the Reformer was all about as anything I've encountered.

10SOUL SEARCHING: THE RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL LIVES OF AMERICAN TEENAGERS CHRISTIAN SMITH (Note: Reading the last two together contrasts a big, biblical view of God with "Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism.") Not only literature, but sociology, helps us to understand where we are right now. If you care about your kids, and grandchildren, and wonder why-- in spite of the fact they go to church and are involved in youth activities-- they don't seems to be Christians, read this book.

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THE LAST 3 PHOTOS I TOOK

I had to laugh when I saw the question for next month in this issue of Update . . . the answer will almost always be photos of my 2 dogs. Life seems to revolve around them! But after some technical issues this morning it's actually pictures of equipment at our transmitter site that I texted to our engineer so he could walk me through fixing an issue. Gotta love technology!

Robin Robinson | General Manager WHIF-FM (Palatka, FL)

1. A picture of my hummingbird feeder which was getting a lot of action that particular day! I like to think the 3 birds that fight over the feeder are my personal hummingbirds.

2. A screenshot of "Who is God to You" list of scriptures that a friend posted on her social media because I wanted to read through them again. Such good reminders!

3. A picture of my car's dashboard which I take when I leave in the morning because I track my mileage for work purposes -- so I have the date and the starting mileage. So practical!

Janine Nelson | VP of Marketing and Development Revive Our Hearts

1. My wife and mother-in-law found a pocket New Testament given to me more than 40 years ago. It reminded me of how unchanged the Word of God is. Circumstances may change. I posted a picture on Facebook hoping to hear from the family who gave it to me.

2. I took a picture of the temp according to my truck the other day and "denied" that truth. [It said 112!]

3. The other is a picture I sent to our I/T team describing a problem with my laptop. It's a picture of my Logos Bible software just before I walked into the control room to do a broadcast for our Exploring the Word program. Fortunately the guys were able to restore my screen so Logos could help me sound smarter than I really am.

Jim Stanley | General Manager American Family Radio

Next month:

Beyond the standard, what are your top five favorite mobile apps? Send in your answer to be featured here! Submit your response and photo to peg@.

COMING UP

AUG 1: In Bay Harbor

(Michigan), John Stonestreet participates in the Great Lakes Symposium on Christian Worldview.

AUG 3: On August 3, Joni and

Friends will mark the ministry's 40th anniversary. How we thank God for the thousands impacted by the organization, including daily listeners to "Joni and Friends" and to "Diamonds in the Dust" and others worldwide served by Family Retreats, Wheelchairs for the World, curriculum and so much more. Happy Anniversary, Joni ... and friends!

AUG 13-16: The Podcast

Movement in Orlando (see page 3)

AUG 19-21: It's the now

annual Getty Music Worship Conference in Nashville where Joni Eareckson Tada and John MacArthur join Keith & Kristyn and others for Sing! 2019--The Life of Christ. (Anne Graham Lotz will also join by video interview!)

AUG 24: A new exhibit opens

at Museum of the Bible titled "Picture Books of the Past: Reading an Old Master Painting." More than sixty European Master works are included in the exhibit which will run into 2020.

NEXT MONTH

Women in ministry will be refreshed attending Revive '19 (September 27-28) in Indianapolis. The two days are designed to bring renewal for those serving others with a speaker team that includes Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, Dannah Gresh, and others.

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1641 Langley Avenue Irvine, CA 92614

949.681.7600

@AmbassadorTeam #AmbassadorLife

Wait! Isn't that ...

The long trail began at age 19 at a classical music formatted station (WYFM) where "I spoke my first words `on-the-air'." That was 57 years ago and for nearly all the years since, Tom Gentry has been dedicated to full-time Christian broadcasting at WHVN in Charlotte, currently overseeing three local signals (two AMs and an FM).

Tom and his wife, Brenda, are faithful NRB attenders-- and if you ask about their two sons or three granddaughters, Tom will be happy to share a recent photo or two! The epitome of a Southern gentleman, Tom is a favorite of all the AAA team, perpetually

gracious and grace-filled. "I often tell people that Christian radio is such a powerful tool for going beyond the walls of one's church to the broader community, reaching people who might not attend church, but will listen to good teachers on Christian radio. I thank God for letting me be part of Christian Broadcasting!" Amen and amen!

LOOK BACK

Would we be able to recognize your younger self? Send your "way back when" photo to peg@!

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